Splice bar



March 21, 1939. v. THEODOS 2,151,361

SPLICE BAR Filed April 14, 1937 1N VENTOR.

ATTOR NE&:S

Patented Mar. 21, 1939 PATENT OFFICE SPLICE BAR Vangel Theodos, San Francisco, Calif.

Application April 14,

9 Claims.

This invention relates to splice bars, commonly termed fish plates for use in connecting the adjoining rails of railway tracks, and has for its objects the provision of splice bar elements arranged and adapted to fully support the adjoining ends of a pair of aligned rails as well as tie the rails together, said elementsbeing constructed to facilitate connecting the rails and for holding the adjoining rails firmly together while permitting. quick and easy replacement of rails. Other objects andadvantages will appear in the specification and drawing annexed hereto.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional'view through a rail and one form of splice bar in assembled relation.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one of the novel elements of my splice bar.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary elevational View of one form of' the invention.

Fig. 4 is a sectional View of the form shown in Fig. 3 taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a still further form. of the invention.

In detail, in Figs. 1, 2, the invention comprises a splice bar element comprising a horizontally disposed, flat, base plate 1 adapted to extend completely across the width of the flanges 2 of the rail, which plate is about 36 inches long and is thus adapted to extend approximately a foot and a half under the adjoining ends of a pair of longitudinally aligned rails. The plate 1 is adapted to be supported on ties (not shown) in which one tie generally passes under the rail joint with ties on opposite sides thereof at a distance of about eight inches. This arrangement of ties is old and well knowrnbut it is obvious that the ties under the base 'plate I should be at a slightly lower level than the ties directly supporting the tracks to compensate for the thickness of the base.

Plate 1 is extended upwardly along one edge past the edge of the rail flange as at 3 and then horizontally inwardly, or overthe plate i, as at 4, to engage the top of the rail flange and web 5 of the rail adjacent the juncture of the flange and web. The portion 4 is integrally connected along its free inner edge at the web of the rail with a fish plate member 6 that extends vertically 1937, Serial No. 136,841

the closed side 3 thereof is substantially rectangular in form, thus enabling a clean casting thereof, which would be practically impossible were the inner or lower side of portion l inclined its full width to conform to the downward slant of the upper side of the flange of the rail. Thus a base plate and fish plate are readily cast in one piece in which the fish plate and base will respectively fit closely against the side of the web 5 and upper'surface of base I, with the full weight of the load on the rails-such as trams, being carried by the base plate.

On the opposite side of the web 5 from fish plate 6, I provide a fish plate 9 formed similar to the plate 6, which plate 9 is formed with a horizontally extending portion IO projecting laterally outwardly from its lower edge to overlie the flange 2, and at its outer edge the portion Ii! carries a downwardly projecting flange l l extending across the edge of the rail flange and free edge of the base plate, terminating slightly above the level of the lower side of the base plate so as not to engage the ties.

The plates 6, 9 are each formed with horizontally aligned openings I2 adapted to freely pass tie bolts l3 that are adapted to clamp plates 6, 9 and web 5 of the rail tightly together with the flanges 2 of the rail firmly and fully supported on the base plate I. The plates 5, 9 are recessed along their sides at 14 adjacent the Web 5 of the rail similar to ordinary fish plates.

In Figs. 3, 4 the parts similar to those in Figs. 1, 2 are similarly numbered, but are primed. In this form of device the portion 4' that overlies the base I and forms with the part 3', the channel for receiving the flange of the rail, is parallel on its under side with the upper side of the base for the full width of the part 4', but the connecting portion 3' is of slightly greater width so as to space the base I and portion 4" a greater distance than the base I and portion 4 of Fig. 1. The portion 3' is formed with several rectangular openings l5 for passing wedges It therethrough with one face of the wedge flat against the underside of the portion 4 and the opposite side of the wedge engaging the inclined upper side of the flange of rail. Also the portion 4' is formed with openings ll, each opening being directly over the wedges inserted through each of the openings [5.

The fish plate 9', opposite similarly formed plate 6', is formed with a slightly downwardly inclined, outwardly projecting portion Hi which portion ID otherwise similar to the portion ii] in Fig. 1.

In this form of device, the base plate I and its parts 3', 4, 6 which are formed integrally therewith, is first positioned on the ties where desired. The adjoining rail ends are then positioned against the fish plate 6' with the flange 2' of the rail in the channel formed by base I and plate 4. The fish plate 9 is bolted to plate 6 with the web of therail therebetween.

Thereafter wedges 16 are sharply driven in place firmly forcing the flanges of the rail against the base plate I. The wedges are then welded in place by welding material in openings I1, as at 18, and if desired the outer exposed end of the wedge may be welded to portion 3' as at I8.

Thus a positive and tight connection between the flanges of the rail and the base plate is made In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 5,-

the parts similar to those indicated in Fig. 4 are similarly numbered, but are double-primed. It will be seen in this form of device that the base plate I" and portion 4" overlying the same, including the fish plate portion 6 are identical with the similarly positioned parts indicated in Fig. 4. The connecting portion 3" in Fig. 5, forming the bottom of the rail flange receiving channel, is imperforate, and an elongated wedge i9 is formed tofit between the flange of the rail and portion 4". This wedge must be. diecast or ground to form an absolute fit in the position between the flange of the rail and portion 3 while permitting the rail to be drawn tightly against the fish plate 6".

The fish plate 9" terminates at its lower end at the juncture between the web and flange of the rail instead of covering the rail'fiange as in" the previously described forms.

After the rail ends are bolted in assembled re-. lation with the fish plates, the Wedge is welded in position by welding l8" in several holes that extend vertically through the portion 3".

Each of the several devices shown are improvements over such disclosures as shown in United States patents to Wolhaupter No. 1,126,150 dated January 26, 1915, and. Palmer, No. 1,150,618, dated August 17, 1915. One of the important improvements in my device being the provision of a fish plate and base plate integrally connected together with the base plate extending the full width of the flanges of the rail, since in the absence of this construction the heavy trafiic over the rail joints will cause the fish plates to crack and the rails to rock at the joints.

Also, the welding of the wedges in place is of great importance, since when a tight fit of the splice bars is initially obtained, there can be no subsequent loosening if the wedges are positively welded in place, whereas bolts and frictional resistance to displacement is inadequate to accomplish this result.

Having described myinvention, I claim:

1. In a splice-bar for connecting the adjoining ends of railway rails comprising an elongated 10.ngitudinally extending plate adapted to directly engage against a side of the webs of the adjoining rails, said plate being formed with a laterally opening channel extending the length of the plate alongthe lower edge thereof, said channel being formed to receive and to enclose therein the flange of the rail adjacent the side of the web adapted to be engaged by said plate with the lower side of the channel engaging the underside of said rail flange and the upper side of the channel spaced from the upper side of said flange, the lower side of said channel being of a width to extend beneath the rail across the full width of 7 both of the rail flanges when the plate is-in engagement with the web, laterally directed openings in the bottom of said channel and a wedge plate adapted to be'fitted therethrough and into the space between the upper side of said channel and the upper side of the rail flange that is adapted to be received in said channel. 7

2. In a construction as defined in claim 1, the upper side of said channel being provided with a vertically directed opening for Welding material for welding the Wedge' plate to the upper side of the channel. V

3. In a rail joint including the adjoining ends of aligned rails, a splice bar comprising an elongated longitudinally extending plate firmly fitted against one side of the webs of the adjoining rails, said plate being formed along its lower edge to provide a laterally opening elongated channel adapted to receive and to enclose therein the flanges of the adjoining. rails with the bottom of the channel extending vertically pastthe edges of the flanges and the lower side of the channel in engagement with and extending across 7 V the full width of the rails includingthe flanges opposite those enclosed within the channel, the bottom of said channel being formed with a plurality of laterally directed openings therethrough and horizontally extending wedgesin each of said openings engaging between the upper side of said channel and the upper surface of the flanges within the channel adapted to firmly force the rails toward the lower side of said channel.

4. In a-construction as defined in claim 3, the 5 tending plate engaging one side of the webs of the adjoiningrails, said plate being formed with .a laterally opening rectangular channel extending the length of the plate along the lower edge thereof, said channel wholly enclosing the flange of the rail adjacent the said side of thewebs with the lower side of the channel engaging the under side of the rail flange and said lower side extending to, but not beyond, the extremity of the opposite rail base flange, a second plate extending adjacent and abutting the web on the opposite side of the rail, bolts extending thru the plates and securing the parts in rigid relat1on thereto, and. a wedge between the first plate and the first rail flange positioned in the innermost corner of the channel with its upper and lower surfaces disposed in planes extending convergently from the base of the channel toward the said webs of the rails.

6 In a rail joint including the adjoining ends of aligned rails, a splice bar comprising an elongated longitudinally extending plate firmly fitted against one side of the webs'of the adjoining rails, said plate being formed along its lower edge to provide a laterally opening elongated channel adapted to receive and to enclose therein the flanges of the adjoining rails with the bottom of the channel extending vertically past the edges of theflanges and the lower side of the channel in engagement with and extending across the full width of the rails including the flanges opposite those enclosed within the channel, the bottom of said channel being formed with a pluand horizontally extending wedges driven through each of said openings into wedging relation between the upper interior side of said channel and the upper surface of the flanges within the channel to firmly force the rail base against the interior surface of the lower portion of said channel, the upper side of the channel being pre-formed with openings over the wedges, and welding material in said openings securing the wedges to the under side of the channel.

7. In the construction of a rail joint including the adjoining ends of aligned rails, a splice bar comprising an elongated longitudinally extending plate firmly fitted against one side of the webs of the adjoining rails, said plate being formed along its lower edge to provide a laterally opening elongated channel adapted to receive and to enclose therein the flanges of the adjoining rails with the bottom of the channel extending vertically past the edges of the flanges and the lower side of the channel in engagement with and extending across the full width of the rails including the flanges opposite those enclosed within the channel, the bottom of said channel being formed with a plurality of laterally directed openings therethrough and horizontally extending wedges in each of said openings engaging between the upper side of said channel and the upper surface of the flanges within the channel adapted to firmly force the rails toward the lower side of said channel, the upper side of the channel being formed with openings over the wedges and welding material in said openings securing the Wedges to the upper side of the channel; wedges being driven thru the first mentioned openings into the defined engaging position between the rail base flange and the channel member.

8. In the construction of a rail joint as set forth in claim 7, the wedges in addition being welded to the channel body at the entrance of the lateral opening and in the region of the overying openings.

9. A rail splice comprising a bar having a rail web engaging portion, a re-entrant base portion providing a channel for receiving one flange of a rail base, a said channel being formed to provide a wedge-like space between the space to be cccupied by said flange and the upper interior wall of said channel, longitudinally spaced lateral wedge openings disposed in said channel to communicate with said wedge-like space, wedges disposed thru said openings and filling said wedgelike space adjacent said lateral openings, and means integrating said wedge with said bar.

VANGEL THEODOS. 

